World
Russia shutters German consulate as diplomatic freeze deepens
Moscow retaliates after similar move from Berlin last week citing failed drone attack on airport.
Al Jazeera•
Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that the consulate in the second city must cease operations by September 18.
The order represents a tit-for-tat move, and brings into the open the growing ill feeling between the two countries amid Russia’s war on Ukraine.
Berlin shuttered two Russian diplomatic operations in Germany last week, having accused Moscow of being behind an attempted drone attack on Leipzig Airport.
The closure of the German consulate marks a new low in Moscow and Berlin’s diplomatic relations, which have seriously deteriorated since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.